MARCH 2021

When was the last time you heard a GREAT story? If you cannot think of one that someone told you, consider the last movie or show that you watched that moved you, made you laugh or cry or had you on the edge of your seat. Think of how it moved you and why. Whatever your reason, you can likely agree that storytelling is a powerful medium that can do so much. At the Institute, we are thinking hard about how to encourage and elevate successful storytelling. We are working to understand the tools of great storytelling and how we can use it well to connect communities. This month, we are sharing thoughts on that work along with a few stories of our own.

The Institute was originally founded as an incubator charged with supporting and growing the Units (now, Divisions) until they could function as their own organizations. Because of this structure, the Divisions were the public face of the Institute, leading many to assume that the Divisions supported the Institute and not the other way around. When Terminus started, for example, they took a leap of faith to create their own dance company. That leap landed them in the arms of the Institute, which has given them the space and support to focus on their art and building their company. In 2019, the board made the strategic decision to move away from temporarily supporting the Divisions through the incubator format to more stable commitment to help foster the growth of the Divisions. Since I began my tenure as ED, a big part of my work through the strategic planning process, has been to use stories like these to help correct initial misconceptions and facilitate an accurate picture of the work and structure of our organization. This is why successful storytelling is so important to us.

The first step in that process is what we shared in the blog last month一ensuring that we have effective communication both internally and externally. Creating and implementing strong communication structures gave us the tools to be in sync and move as one一supporting and empowering each other. With that foundation in place, we are beginning to share stories of impact and lean into the power of storytelling as a way to invest and empower our constituents. Michael Bettis of AIR Serenbe said it perfectly when he said, “I’ve shifted my narrative. Recently, I’ve used the collaboration and the relationship between AIR and the Institute to get people excited since all of our initiatives are now backed by the Institute.” As artists, encouraging, nurturing and spreading a narrative一telling a STORY一is truly the core of who we are and what we do. We are excited to be able to do that better and more often ongoing.

A recent example of the power of story comes from one of the Institute’s programs, A.C.E. (formerly South Fulton Area Initiative). Last year, during a virtual concert, harpist Angelica Hairston told a story about one of her experiences as an artist with us. She was playing at Grady Hospital in the Burn Unit and during her performance, she noticed a man standing a short distance away, outside of a patient room. As she finished up and started to pack up, he came to her explaining that his son was a patient on the floor and had been in the hospital for months. He asked if she would be willing to come and play for him in his room. She agreed and moved the harp down the hall to play a couple of songs for the young boy, who was covered in burns. She recalled playing for the father and son as one of the most powerful experiences she has had as a performer. The joy and healing she brought into the room touched the family in a unique and unexpected way. Providing communities with authentic connections and experiences through music and art is what makes our work so important and so special. 

Another example involves an AIR serenbe advisory board member. Although he supported the work in general, he struggled to connect with the spoken word portion of AIR Serenbe’s programs and fellowship. One night, before an event, he ended up in a car with one of the poets. Their 1-on-1 conversation combined with the performance that evening finally unlocked his appreciation of the art form and he began to understand why people are so moved and compelled by it.

This work, changing hearts and minds through the arts, inspires and motivates us, as we hope it does you. Please know that we are also motivated by hearing YOUR stories! When you respond to a blog post or comment on social media, you give us a window into your world一motivating us to keep bringing you art, culture and the environment in new ways. What stories come to mind when you think of the institute, our programs or divisions? Share them with us via email or on social. We’d love to hear from you and be able to feature your experiences in our storytelling in the future!